Death Penalty

The death penalty is a topic dealing with ethics and personal values. Some say that it has a strong deterrence effect and give closure to families (An eye for an eye.) When you think about it you have to think of the victim, as well as the defendant. Capital punishment is used for protecting the safety of the citizens, deterring crime, helping save lives and minimizing future murderers.

Death penalty help save lives. For each inmate put to death, the study say, 3 to 18 murders are prevented. For each execution the murder of a white person, 3/2 black, and ½ other persons are prevented. Also, for every 2.75 years cut from time spent on death row, one murder would be prevented (Smith, 2011). When threat of death increases, the homicide rate decreases.

Repeated murders are eliminated because the convicts would have done it again if they received parole. Criminals who receive the death penalty are typically violent individuals. Joseph Green Brown was said to have killed his wife, who was on death row for raping and murdering a woman. (Sells, 2012). It also help bring justice to the families and give the citizens a peace of mind, that there is at least one killer that they do not have to worry about anymore.

When criminals are in jail we can misjudge their character and release them too soon. “The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that convicted criminals free on parole and probation commit at least 84, 800 violent crimes every year, including 13,200 murders, 12,200 murders, 12,900 rapes, and 49,500 robberies. 6% of young adults paroled in 1978 after being convicted of murder were arrested for murder again within 6 years of release. Of the roughly 52,000 state prison inmates serving time for murder in 1984, an estimated 810 has p...

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...his money to better our community by providing important government programs, tax paid jobs (focus on teachers), and cutting out some of our national debt.

In conclusion, the death penalty benefits our society. It help save lives by taking away the violent criminals that will most likely do the same crime again if let out. While some might say that it costs more than life without parole, it actually costs less and the money is used to be better our communities.

Works Cited

Erb, Kelly Phillips. Death and Taxes: The Real Cost of the Death Penalty. 2011. Web.

JOHNSON, STEPHON. "States continue death penalty debate." New York Amsterdam News Dec. 2011: 4. MasterFILE Complete. Print.

SMITH, PATRICIA. "The Death Penalty Debate." New York Times Upfront 143.13 (2011): 12. MasterFILE Complete. Print. 5

The Incapacitation and Deterrent Effects. (n.d.). Web.